In tears over tail
October 11, 2020 1:53 AM   Subscribe

My 3 yr old long haired cat Princess is behaving a peculiar way and I'm in tears because not only can I not afford a vet e.r. visit, i cant make a regular vet appt until Tuesday because of Columbus Day. I noticed all day she is holding her tail at a straight line from her back sometimes slightly lifted but roughly 180•. It seems to

Signify a problem with her backside or her digestive tract. Also I've noticed splatterings of runny poop, not a lot, im certain places she walks that she is leaking all over the house. I've never seen her not eat, her litter box is clean and she never leaves the house. I cant sleep worrying if she has a parasite or some toxin in her but I'm not able to spend enough on a e.r. ttip so I'm kinda frantic. Is this a random non serious possible nothing or could the e.r. visit be inevitable? I'm desperate.
posted by The_imp_inimpossible to Pets & Animals (11 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Could runny poop have glued some tail fur to her withers such that it pulls and so hurts if she elevates her tail past 180 degrees? If so, you can help gently using a rag wet with warm water.
posted by carmicha at 2:06 AM on October 11, 2020 [2 favorites]


Don't panic. Here are some things to consider, and you can do more research on your own:

- Is she eating normally? How is her energy level and mood? I always tested my cat by seeing how playful he was; cats will hide distress pretty well, but if they're less playful than usual, that's a sign that should be respected.

- Check to see whether she's dehydrated (search YouTube and/or Google to learn more about hydration in animals).

- Could she have eaten something that's stuck in her gut, like string or a ribbon? Check your belongings. If so, that sounds like an emergency.

- Some people believe in giving probiotics if a cat is having loose stools or upset stomach. This might be something to try if the cat is just having diarrhea.


---- If it is an emergency ---

- If you think you can wait until Monday, check around for a vet that is open on Columbus Day. It's not like Christmas; probably some offices will be open, depending on where you are, and also there might be a vet on call.

If you do end up having to go to the emergency vet, talk to them about a payment plan before you go. They're usually compassionate people.
posted by amtho at 2:16 AM on October 11, 2020


These days emergency vets typically participate in a credit program. It's not great financially, interest rates are high, but it at least gives you a path if the need is critical.
posted by Miko at 6:49 AM on October 11, 2020 [1 favorite]


My cat Sugar has severe arthritis in her hips and pelvis and when she took a fall getting off the bed (she's over-optimistic about her ability to run and jump), she held her tail at an odd angle - more sideways than 180 degrees, though. My vet told me that sometimes a tail angle means they're "favoring it" because of pain. The incontinence bothers me, too.

Emergency vets will sometimes work with you on costs. We took her last year to the ER when she was recovering from tooth removal and seemed to be in a lot of pain, but they came out and said she was friendly and relaxed and they didn't charge us.
posted by Peach at 7:02 AM on October 11, 2020


Fecal incontinence and an abnormal tail posture could result from sort of nerve injury in that region (trauma to spine back there, local clot/stroke, a mass pressing against spine).

As long as she's eating, drinking, peeing and pooping, I'd say it's not a life-threatening emergency and you can wait until mid-week.

But only you can make that call.
posted by Dashy at 7:47 AM on October 11, 2020


There are resources out there to help people with limited means cover the cost of vet bills.
posted by brookeb at 8:17 AM on October 11, 2020 [2 favorites]


carmicha's theory definitely wins Occam's Razor.

Note: if you try to clean Princess up and she violently objects as if in pain, it might mean she is actually injured ... or it might mean: "DON'T TOUCH MY BUTT MY BUTT IS FINE despite all evidence to the contrary".

Also note: pouring money into a mysterious cat ailment often does zilch for the cat. We once saw our cat wake up from a nap, stagger, fall off the sofa, stagger, fall, stagger, fall ... it was clearly and profoundly wrong. We rushed him to the vet, who gave him an MRI and a spinal tap, and, $1500 later, a sheepish diagnosis: idiopathic vestibular ataxia. Which means: your cat's sense of balance is off, so he can't walk properly, and he's a mystery to medical science, which is not uncommon for his condition. (Vet's guess is he had a stroke while napping.) Cat figured out how to compensate in various ways, lived half a dozen more years, and died of something completely unrelated.

If it were me I would shut Princess in the bathroom with a nice washable/disposable place to rest (maybe a cardboard box with one side torn out and a towel inside), and hang out with her there with a book for a few hours off and on, and not stress too much in advance of the vet appointment.

If her litterbox remains clean though, that is an emergency. Don't let her go 24 hours without peeing.
posted by feral_goldfish at 5:01 PM on October 11, 2020 [1 favorite]


I hope you follow up and let us know how Princess is doing. Best wishes to you and her.
posted by amtho at 8:53 PM on October 11, 2020 [1 favorite]


CareCredit is another option for veterinary financing. Not all vets take it though, so best to ask first.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 7:29 AM on October 12, 2020 [1 favorite]


I used Carecredit for my kitty's vet bills years ago. Took me a long time to get it paid off, but it was worth it to get my cat taken care of. When I initially signed up my credit rating was crap, but they signed me up right away, no problem.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:17 PM on October 12, 2020


Response by poster: I like the Carecredit idea.
Update: the leak has stopped I think it was just a case of mackeral before dinner. She sits now so i dont think it's as big a problem as i first thought. She may just be in need of a diet change and check up. Thanks for all the good advice. I'll keep you posted (bf sent a photo of her short while ago I'd like to upload but I havent got smart enough yet)
posted by The_imp_inimpossible at 9:44 PM on October 12, 2020 [2 favorites]


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